SC ruling gives new turn to Nagaland political crisis as Governor directs floor test

Newmai News Network

DIMAPUR | July 18

After few hours of the Kohima Bench Gauhati High Court’s dismissal of the writ petition of Nagaland Chief Minister Dr Shurhozelie Lietzietsu filed in the same court on July 14 against the Governor’s directive for floor test, Governor PB Acharya has directed the Speaker of Nagaland Legislative Assembly to summon an emergent Special Session of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly on Wednesday (July 19) at 09:30 am to test the majority support of the present cabinet led by Chief Minister, Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu. This directive of the Governor came following the dismissal of the writ petition filed by Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu at Kohima Bench Guwahati High Court “vide Judgment and Order dated 18th July 2017 as well as vacation of the earlier interim order passed by the same Court on 14th July, 2017”.

According to the Raj Bhavan, the Guwahati High Court, Kohima Bench observed that the Governor had taken the right decision to ask the Chief Minister to have a Vote of Confidence in the floor of the House to see which out of the two contesting claimants of Chief Ministership had a majority in the House.

The Court further stated that there was no merit in the writ petition filed by Dr Shürhozelie Liezietsu and the same was accordingly dismissed.    

Earlier the Governor had requested the Chief Minister to prove his majority support on the floor of the Assembly on or before July 15, 2017 was made on July 11, 2017 and July 13, 2017.

Meanwhile, sources said that Chief Minister Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu may go to “higher court” to challenge today’s judgment of the Kohima Bench Gauhati High Court.

There are 43 legislators, both NPF and 7 Independent MLAs, camping at Hotel Vivor in Kohima since Friday.

Interestingly, the 4 BJP legislators along with the Nagaland unit party president have met the Governor this evening and submitted an affirmation letter that, they will support the “TR Zeliang group”. In the letter the 4 BJP MLAs and the BJP Nagaland unit president said, “In the present political crisis in the state government the BJP has decided to remain a constituent of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) led by the DAN Chairman, Shri TR Zeliang.” The letter also said that the BJP has been a constituent of the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) in Nagaland, and that, the “BJP has joined the DAN Government and continues to remain as a part of the arrangement till date.”

It can be noted here that former Chief Minister and sitting Lok Sabha MP, Neiphiu Rio is fully and openly supporting the TR Zeliang camp.

On July 14, in that writ petition filed by the petitioner Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu before the Kohima Bench of the Gauhati High Court, it was argued that the decision of the Governor asking the petitioner who is also the Chief Minister of Nagaland to conduct a floor test on or before July 15 was “ex facie unconstitutional, illegal, arbitrary and violative of the basic features of the Constitution.”

Later, the Kohima Bench of the Guwahati High Court had stayed the directive of the Governor to the Chief Minister of Nagaland to go for a floor test on or before July 15, 2017, till Monday (July 17).